This application is related to, and claims priority to pursuant to 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119, the copending Netherlands utility patent application entitled xe2x80x9cHanger for Poultryxe2x80x9d filed on Oct. 28, 1999 and accorded serial number 1013419, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a hanger for poultry, in particularxe2x80x94though not exclusivelyxe2x80x94for live poultry, during a slaughtering process. The invention furthermore relates to a method in which the hanger can be advantageously deployed, as well as to parts of the hanger.
The slaughtering process for poultry usually starts by hanging the poultry from an overhead conveyor, by means of which the poultry is transported through a station in which the poultry is killed as quickly and as painlessly as possible. After that the poultry is plucked and further processed.
The overhead conveyor is provided with a series of hangers, in which the legs of the poultry can be hung. The abattoir assistants pick up the poultry, turn it upside down, and subsequently insert the legs in the accommodation spaces for that purpose of the hanger.
When it regards dead poultry, usually use can be made of hangers having simple, slit-shaped leg accommodation spaces, into and out of which accommodation spaces the legs can simply be slid. When it regards (still) live poultry it is less simple however. Live poultry can still move its legs, as a result of which there is the risk that a leg gets out of the hanger, resulting in the orientation of the poultry not corresponding to the further process and the animal suffering pain unnecessarily. Moreover, an efficient process is disturbed in this way.
It was attempted to give a first solution to this problem by means of hangers having leg accommodation spaces opening upwardly inclined. The legs were forcefully hung in them, which caused the animals a lot of pain, but moreover said hangers did still not ensure the wanted reliability.
As a solution to this, in the past, hangers were used that were provided with locking means for the legs, in which the hangers were provided with a horizontally turned plate member, with in it two accommodation spaces for the legs facing each other in an inclined manner, and two spring loaded, rotatable V-shaped plates which also defined an accommodation space for the legs. The legs were inserted in the accommodation spaces of the V-shaped plates, exerting a pressure force on the springs, the V-shaped plates were rotated until both accommodation spaces coincided, after which the V-shaped plates were released and the legs were kept clamped between the edges of both coinciding accommodation spaces. A drawback of this however was the complex construction that was difficult to clean, but particularly that the clamping force exerted on the legs could be felt by the poultry and even regularly led to fracture, as a result of which it suffered pain and became subject to stress.
An object of the invention is to improve on this. To that end a device is provided for hanging conveyance of poultry, comprising a hanger, which is possibly provided with means for attachment to an overhead conveyor, in which the hanger is provided with at least one accommodation space for a leg of the poultry, which accommodation space is provided with an access opening for entrance and exit of leg, in which the hanger is provided with means for closing off the access opening, which closing means are moveable between a closed position which closes off the access opening and an open position releasing the access opening, and with means for locking the closing means in the closed position.
By closing the access opening of the accommodation space using locking means provided on the hanger, the leg in question is kept locked in a constructive manner, without having to touch the leg. On the one hand the suffering of animals is reduced, on the other hand a more reliable locking is obtained as it is technically controllable.
It is noted that it is known per se, when transferring carcasses of slaughtered poultry in the slaughtering process, to make use of hangers with accommodation spaces, in which the legs are kept snugly in the accommodation spaces by means of an arm arranged on the hanger, which when placing the leg can be pressed out of the way and which springs back behind the leg with a widened end. When removing the leg the spring arm is pressed away of its own accord.
Preferably the device according to the invention is further provided with means for locking the closing means in the open position, so that insertion is promoted and unnecessary touching of the poultry is prevented.
The controllability is increased when the closing means can be moved between the closed position and the open position by means of rotation, and to that end preferably are connected to the hanger by means of a pivot pin connection.
In that case it is advantageous when the closing means are provided with an operating lever, which can be engaged by hand or by means of further operating means provided on the slaughter line.
Preferably the closing means are provided with a first ramp surface which in the open position coincides with the accommodation space, as seen in a view transverse to the accommodation space and having a normal with a component opposing the entrance direction and a component opposing the closing rotation direction. In this way the closing means can be activated as of its own accord during the entering movement of the leg.
Preferably the closing means are provided with a second ramp surface which in the closed position is situated in front of the accommodation space, in line therewith, as seen in a view transverse to the accommodation space and having a normal with a component opposing the entrance direction and a component opposing the opening rotation direction. In case the closing means still close off the access opening, they can be pressed out of the way with the entering movement of the leg, as a result of which the number of actions can be reduced.
Preferably the closing means are provided with a third ramp surface which in the closed position limits the accommodation space in outward direction, in line therewith, as seen in a view transverse to the accommodation space and having a normal with a component opposing the exit direction and a component opposing the closing rotation direction. As a result a returning movement of the leg in the accommodation space will not lead to releasing the access opening, but instead the closure will be enhanced.
Preferably the locking means comprise spring means for biassing them in a locking position, so that unintended release is further prevented. It is advantageous here when the locking means comprise one or several notches, which for locking cooperate with a cam provided on the hanger, in which way a simple construction is obtained, which can be cleansed easily.
Constructive simplicity is further promoted when the spring means are formed by a recess of material in the closing means.
In case of the aforementioned pivot pin, the spring means preferably are situated at the side of the pivot pin which faces away from the accommodation space.
Further constructive simplicity is realised when the recess of material is a curved slot, of which the hollow side of the curve is situated at the pivot pin side, and preferably the curvature centre coincides with the pivot axis.
In a further development of the device according to the invention it is provided that the accommodation space is elongated, having a width which is smaller than the ankle joint or leg end. As a result the leg has some freedom of movement, as a result of which the animal in question will suffer pain less quickly, in case of a live animal. In case of a slaughtered animal some compliance is provided in this way.
In a further development of the device according to the invention the hanger is provided with a portion which is substantially horizontally positioned during use, in which portion the accommodation space is provided. As a result the transfer of the poultry from the hanger according to the invention to a subsequent hanger is facilitated, and this can take place by means of easily applied horizontal sliding forces.
Preferably the closing means are formed by a plate-shaped, preferably hook-shaped closing body, which can easily be formed and cleansed. Said plate body can easily be made of synthetic material, for instance by moulding.
The hanger according to the invention preferably comprises two accommodation spaces, one for each leg.
In a possible embodiment the accommodation spaces are formed in one single transverse plate. Alternatively the accommodation spaces are formed in legs hanging down from the hanger, as a result of which an intermediate space is left between the legs which can be used for stationary parts of the slaughter line.
Preferably the legs are hinged to the hanger, so that the accommodation spaces if necessary can be brought into a advantageous orientation to the abattoir assistant during entering.
Preferably the closing bodies are arranged at the lower side of either the plate or the legs, so that more space is provided for the operational actions.
The invention further provides a method for hanging in particular live poultry, in which the poultry is hung in a hanger with the legs upwards, in which the legs are entered into accommodation spaces in question and are locked in there by means of closing means, which are locked only by constructive parts on the hanger.
Preferably the legs are offered a certain degree of freedom of movement during the presence in the accommodation spaces.
Although the hanger according to the invention can be used in various locations in the slaughter line, it is particularly advantageous when the poultry is killed and plucked during hanging.